Ripple%20Tank%20Summary

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Ripple Tank Summary
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Why Ripple Tanks

• Real waves (sound, light, radiation) are
  difficult to observe
• Properties of waves should be independent of the
  type of wave
• Water waves (which are easy to see) provide a
  useful analogy for other types of waves

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Wave Properties

• Transmission
• Reflection
• Refraction
• Diffraction
• Interference

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Transmission

• The traveling of a wave through a medium away
  from a vibrating source

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Transmission

• The wavelength of the generated wave does not
  change as it travels the length of the ripple
  tank
• The speed of the wave remains a constant

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Transmission

• If the medium doesnt change the speed must
  remain constant
• A change in the frequency must result in a change
  in the wavelength
• An increase in the frequency causes a shortening
  of the wavelength

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Reflection

• The changing direction of a wave upon impact
  with a barrier or object

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Reflection

• The speed of the wave, frequency and wavelength
  remains unchanged after reflection
• Only the direction of the wave changes

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Reflection

• The direction of the wave changes such that the
  angle of incidence is equal to the angle of
  reflection

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Refraction

• Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes
  from one type of medium into another type of
  medium

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Refraction

• As the surface waves travel from a deep to
  shallow environment the waves will bend and
  decrease in wavelength.

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Refraction

• Since the frequency of the waves can not change
  and the wavelength decreases, the speed of the
  wave as it travels from a deep section to a
  shallow section must decrease as well. This
  causes the waves to pile up on one another.
• Tsunami

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Refraction

• This bending of the wave and the resultant change
  in speed has environmental implications!

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Diffraction

• The bending of a wave as it either passes by a
  barrier / object OR the spreading out of a wave
  as it passes through an opening

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Diffraction

• Longer wavelengths diffract easier around a
  barrier compared to shorter wavelengths
• This is seen in the difference between light (a
  short wavelength) and sound (a long wavelength)

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Diffraction

• Waves can also diffract (bend) as they pass
  through an opening
• Maximum diffraction occurs when the width of the
  slit is close to the wavelength of the energy

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Diffraction

• Diffraction is often used in creating wave breaks
  to help dissipate the incoming energy of the wave

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Interference

• The total disturbance within a medium when more
  than one wave is present

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Interference

• The amplitudes of the waves will add together as
  vectors.
• A crest plus a crest forms a much larger crest
• A trough plus a trough form a deeper trough

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Interference

• If a crest and crest (trough and trough) add
  together we end up with constructive interference

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Interference

• If a crest adds to a trough (or trough to a
  crest) we end up with destructive interference

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Interference

• In most cases we end up with partial interference
  creating a beat.

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Interference

• Many objects display an interference pattern
  (such as electrons)